Stambaugh Auditorium evacuated during Liberty High commencement

By Elise Franco

efranco@vindy.com

Youngstown

The Liberty High School 2010 graduates got more than they bargained for when a false fire alarm threatened to cancel their commencement ceremony.

As the final seniors took their seats Sunday afternoon inside Stambaugh Auditorium on Fifth Avenue, an announcement was made asking everyone to evacuate the building.

Lt. Frank Marino, of the Youngstown Fire Department, said a child pulled the alarm, causing the evacuation. Marino said for a brief time the fire department was ready to cancel the ceremony because no one at Stambaugh was able to turn off the alarm.

“We couldn’t get the alarm to reset,” he said. “With so many people inside, if something would’ve happened with the alarm not working properly it would be unsafe for the people.”

And 30 minutes later, as the graduates filed back into the auditorium, they seemed more eager than ever to receive their diplomas.

Senior Class President Lauren Stevens was first to address her classmates with a speech that focused on growing up and moving on.

“Today marks the start of our adulthood,” she said. “This is about us, class of 2010. Liberty High School has exposed us to reality, and I have no doubt that all of our lives are worth watching.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.